Mary Jo Tavormina Selected for 2021 ICTM Beberman Award
LSRI's Mary Jo Tavormina, Project Director of the Metro Chicago Mathematics Initiative, has been selected as this year’s Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Max Beberman Mathematics Educator Award winner!
The Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) is a community of PreK through Post-graduate (PreK-20) educators promoting equitable, high-quality mathematics teaching and learning through leadership, collaboration, advocacy and professional development. The Max Beberman Mathematics Educator Award honors one outstanding person each year who has made significant contributions to the field of mathematics education through research, curriculum design, or teacher training.
In selecting Tavormina, ICTM recognizes her 30-year career in mathematics education in the Chicago area, where Tavormina has positively shaped the careers of countless educators, leading to improved the mathematics teaching and learning in hundreds of schools.
Tavormina has been the Project Director for the Metro Chicago Mathematics Initiative (MCMI) at the Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) since 2017, and is also currently a collaborator for the Elementary Math Specialist Project with the University of Chicago and DePaul University. She is the Principle Investigator for the Big Shoulders Fund-UIC Mathematics Initiative and, among many other UIC endeavors, was the Principle Investigator for the Suburban Cook County Mathematics Initiative. Prior to her time at UIC, Tavormina was the Director of Mathematics for the Chicago Public Schools.
Tavormina was recommended for the award by no less than 20 individuals, including current and past collaborators as well as LSRI's past and current co-directors. Letters of support cited her vibrant personality, dedication, her informed instructional leadership, and her ability to build teacher capacity as some of the reasons for nomination.
"Virtually everywhere Mary Jo has worked throughout her career, good things have happened," said Martin Gartzman, Senior Associate of UChicago STEM Education at the University of Chicago.